Arnold Schwarzenegger 'Star analysis'

Arnold Schwarzenegger – Star Image

“To be tough or not to be tough that is the question”



Our perceptions as the audience are heavily influenced by how Schwarzenegger’s star image is portrayed by the media, publicists, his films and the roles he undertakes within them. This image captivates and interests us for many reasons, from his star persona to his powerhouse masculine physique, they all create an icon that we admire and want to emulate.
For example, Schwarzenegger has won seven ‘Mr Olympia’ competitions and a ‘Mr Universe’ competition in 1969. These incredible achievements of masculinity gave the star an image of toughness and dominance which has consequently been transferred to his movie persona. This image is personified and evident in many of his films such as; Terminator (1984), Predator (1987) and in Total Recall (1990).
In such films our expectations of the Actor to be the hard, weapon wielding hero or even villain are often expressed exactly th...